Man faces murder charge in toddler's death

July 07, 2003|By Michael Jones, Staff Writer

OTSEGO LAKE TWP. - A Gaylord man was charged with open murder at his arraignment Thursday afternoon in 46th District Court and could face life imprisonment if found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter.

Charles Lewis Schriner, 22, was charged in the homicide of his 3-year-old stepdaughter, Emily Rose Payton. The toddler was found dead by two volunteers of the Otsego Lake Fire and Rescue Dept. after her mother, Jeanette Schriner, 21, came home from work Wednesday night around 10:15 and found her daughter blue and not breathing, according to police reports.

The couple, who moved to the Gaylord area in February from Marysville, Ohio, after a brief stay in Mio and at the Friendship Homeless Shelter in Otsego Lake Township, had only been residing at their current address, 307 Edelweiss Trail, since the middle of May.

The house, near the top of a small hill, sits back from the road under dense trees and Thursday showed only a lone porch light on and lighted interior lamp to show it was inhabited.

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Police reports indicate Schriner had been home alone babysitting the little girl since about 5 p.m. when Jeanette was at work. When Jeanette arrived home to find her daughter unconscious, she reportedly ran across the street to use the phone of neighbor Pam Glendenny, at 342 Edelweiss Trail, to call 911. After contacting 911, the mother reportedly was directed to bring the child to Glendenny's home so they could be instructed by the 911 dispatcher in giving CPR to Emily until help could arrive.

Glendenny, in a telephone interview with the Herald Times, said she and Jeanette Schriner started CPR, which reportedly did not revive the child. Rescue personnel and troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord post arrived a short while later and found the child dead.

Charles Schriner reportedly did not show up at Glendenny's home until about five minutes after 911 had been called, said Glendenny. He reportedly told police he was delayed, turning off lights.

After the toddler was pronounced dead at the scene and transported by Otsego County EMS/Rescue to Otsego Memorial Hospital, police questioned Schriner who was then taken to the MSP post and interviewed by MSP Det. Sgt. Kevin Day.

MSP Lt. Tom Valdez said Schriner was arrested and initially charged with manslaughter. The charge was later amended to the open-murder charge after Otsego County prosecutor Kevin Hesselink reviewed the case.

After Schriner's arraignment, Hesselink said preliminary autopsy results indicated homicide in the child's death and the manslaughter charge was changed to the open-murder charge. "An open-murder charge will buy us time to decide if we go with a first- or second-degree murder charge."

Hesselink did not know when complete autopsy results would be available. The autopsy was being completed in Grand Rapids. "We were saddened that this type of thing still happens. Fortunately, this is not something which happens every day here in Otsego County, but that makes it all the harder to deal with when it does."

Schriner, whose license listed an address in Waverly, Ohio, was wanted there on two warrants for failure to comply and failure to appear.

At Hesselink's request, District Court Judge Michael Cooper denied Schriner bond on Thursday. "Due to the seriousness of the charge and the short history the defendant has in this county, I would recommend that bond be denied in this case," Hesselink told Cooper while an emotionless Schriner looked on.

A preliminary conference for Schriner has been scheduled for next Friday at 9 a.m. and his preliminary exam is set for July 17 at 1:30 p.m.